Karen Khachanov advanced to the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time with a 6-3, 7-5 win over fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev on Thursday.
Khachanov will next play two-time Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (3) at the clay-court tournament.
Tsitsipas blew a 5-0 lead in the second set and failed to convert two match points before Zverev won five straight games. The Greek, however, regained his composure in the tiebreaker to improve his record against his German rival to 10-5.
Medvedev won his first clay-court tournament last year in Rome but still does not feel completely at ease on the surface. After his title in Italy, he lost in the first round to a qualifier at the French Open last season.
Khachanov hit 11 winners and limited his mistakes to just three unforced errors in the second set to produce his first win over a top 5 player this season.
“First thing is to be consistent. I think lately my results have been better and better,” Khachanov said. “Then to think how to beat the top guys and be at the top. These are the things that we have to keep in mind and keep working on. The win today gives extra confidence in my pocket to continue this tournament and to step into the clay swing.”
It was only his second win against the fourth-ranked Medvedev.
“I lost a couple of tight matches to him on hard courts,” Khachanov said. “On clay, I have not got a title yet but I have good results. Roland Garros two-time quarterfinals. Always winning matches but not winning the tournament. In a way I think overall my results on clay are better than his, maybe, and mentally he said many times he does not like to play on it.”
Medvedev lost his temper near the end of the second set and was handed a point penalty after yelling at the chair umpire at the changeover. Khachanov started his final service game with a 15-0 advantage and concluded with a service winner.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is in action later Thursday against Lorenzo Musetti, who last year beat the two-time tournament champion.
Alex de Minaur reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin at the Country Club.